Which Rangers defenseman misses the net the most?

K’Andre Miller is filled with potential. I personally didn’t think he would make the roster outright to start the season, but clearly he had other plans. Miller burst onto the scene with a goal and three assists in a five game stretch to close out January. K’Andre Miller finished the season a little slower on the score sheet, which will have an impact on his 2021 report card grade.

Miller’s final line was 5-7-12 in 53 games for a 7-18-25 full season pace. So that four point stretch in five games accounted for 33% of his total points for the season. It’s not ideal, but Miller was a rookie after all. He also may have been slightly misused paired with Jacob Trouba on the top pair.

Interesting usage and ice time

Miller averaged 21:06 TOI/game in all situations, third on the team behind Adam Fox and Trouba. He did get more total ice time per game than Ryan Lindgren, which was surprising. There were also some fun nuances:

  • 17:44 TOI/tame at even strength, the most among Rangers defensemen
  • 1:03 TOI/game on the powerplay (third on the team)
  • 1:39 TOI/game shorthanded (5th on the team, 4th if you don’t include Jack Johnson)

Clearly David Quinn liked Miller, but to have more ice time than Lindgren is certainly a shocker. This does lend credence to the point above, that he may have been slightly misused on the top pair.

Non-scoring results

Predictably, Miller was a net positive on offense, but struggled defensively. This is expected for most rookies, especially those as raw as Miller. He’s supremely talented, but it is clear that he was struggling on his coverages in the defensive zone. There’s not much else to read into there.

Not every rookie is Adam Fox who can just jump right into the action as a top player in the league. Miller will need time to adjust. But this is also why it is important to perhaps get him away from Trouba, as there is a lot of evidence that suggests there are more efficient combos.

The GAR/xGAR numbers show what the heatmaps showed as well. Defensively, this shouldn’t be that surprising. Miller had some visible struggles in his own and and defending through the neutral zone. He made some nice plays too, but the overall body of work does need some improvement.

Something that did strike me was the xGAR offensive numbers, showing that Miller might have had some rough puck luck. It’s not an exact science, as with Trouba yesterday, but the numbers suggest that Miller’s scoring line was below what should have been expected given his play. It’s something to keep an eye on for next season.

So what’s next?

K’Andre Miller’s report card this season is a reflection of a rookie learning the ropes. Miller’s raw ability is apparent, and he will need a good amount of development and fine tuning. The next coach will need patience, but also the presence of mind to find the right pairing for him. As Rob Luker keeps pointing out, the best top-four the Rangers can dress is Miller-Fox and Lindgren-Trouba. It brings out the best in Trouba with a defense-first partner, and Fox can play with anyone.

That said, Miller did have significant defensive deficiencies his first year, and was an overall net-negative in terms of expected-goals production. He’s going to get a lot better, and it’s going to happen quickly. An average rookie season with a hot start is the best way to summarize Miller’s first year.

2021 K’Andre Miller Report Card Grade: B-.

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